EU Ambassadors Fail to Reach Consensus on 21st Sanctions Package Against Russia
EU ambassadors could not agree on the 21st sanctions package against Russia during an emergency meeting on Sunday; foreign ministers will resume discussions on July 13.
EU member states' ambassadors failed to reach an agreement on the content of the 21st sanctions package against Russia during an emergency meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) on Sunday. According to several EU diplomats, despite significant progress, consensus was not achieved.
Discussions on contentious issues will continue on Monday, July 13, during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, which includes member states' foreign ministers. One source noted that objections remain from several countries regarding a ban on entry for Russian combatants, restrictions in the fisheries sector, and issues related to the oil and gas sector.
It was previously reported that the 21st sanctions package must be approved by July 15, the deadline for renewing the price cap on Russian oil. Since the beginning of June, EU member states have been unable to find a common position on sanctions against Russian fisheries (with member states wanting to significantly soften the quotas proposed by the Commission), a ban on entry for Russian combatants, and individual sanctions against Russians, including Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and others.
On July 6, it was already reported that difficulties in reaching consensus on the 21st sanctions package could delay its adoption. It is possible that the freezing of the price cap on Russian oil will be adopted as a separate sanctions measure on July 13 or 14.
